3rd Session- The Jord Escape

General Summary

18th-19th of Melora's Gift, 1436

Uneasy Outing

After briefly collecting themselves from exiting the caverns, the party was finally able to see the open sky again. The cave exit put them in a small gully with trees on either side. The sun was setting and upon looking around the group found that there were many tracks by the cave, both humanoid and animal. The anxiety of the situation was amplified when Euphoria sensed that they were being watched but couldn't find anything out of place with their surroundings. Scarlet projected herself into her owl familiar to fly overhead and check the surrounding areas for enemies or settlements. With no option but to push on as night approached, the party began trudging up the muddy hill.
Reaching the hill's crest the party was able to look back and finally see the Great Fortress, but didn't linger on it very long. Scarlet pointed out to the others that from within her owl she had seen what looked to be two settlements; one to the north with smoke and signs of activity, and one to the south that seemed abandoned. Momentarily, the companions paused to debate whether it was worth trying to reach either place with the temperature dropping as night fell. Both locations had risk, but as turning back was not an option it was decided to go to the seemingly abandoned place to seek refuge for the night. However to reach either location they would have to cross a wide ravine before them containing an ice field. They scaled their way down into the ice field, still feeling as though they were being watched and unable to pinpoint the source. Euphoria decided to creep, not very successfully, forward to check the path ahead while the rest stayed in the ravine in case a hasty retreat or charge was needed.
Seeing the empty ruin about a mile off, Euphoria went to call the others forward and in doing so finally caught sight of what had apparently been following them hiding in a cluster of snowy trees: a pair of polar owl bears. In hopes of drawing them away, the Tabaxi created a duplicate of herself and sent it walking away while she rejoined the group. Relaying the information, everyone took note of the way that the animals were keeping their distance and not acting in a hostile way.

Strange Ally... and Bedfellow

The remainder of the trek went quickly and uneventfully as the group raced to avoid being stranded in the open for the night. Upon finally reaching the ruins, which looked to be a former small fortress, the group was met by the owl bears and a third humanoid figure. The two groups converged just outside the broken gates of the old fort. The party waved a greeting to the figure with the owlbears, who returned the wave and approached. As it stepped closer it was revealed to be an older male Half-Orc clad in wolf pelts with a carved walking staff. He greeted them cordially and the group returned the gesture. The Half-Orc, Rhal, admitted that he had been watching them with his owl bears, which he had forged a bond with over sharing the spoils of hunts over many years. He had made a practice of spying to see if released prisoners would be a potential threat to him or his refuge. Maintaining the appearance of the structure being abandoned was key to insuring the guns of the Great Fortress and the patrol cruisers of the nearby bay wouldn't target his assumed home.
Phuc Her approached and made a nearly instant bond with the owl bears, much to the surprise of their master, while the creatures took to Euphoria less eagerly. The connection seemed so easily attained, in fact, that Rhal and Phuc Her had a quick discussion that led the two to believe they were potentially loosely related, much to the former's delight. Jumping back to the issues at hand, the group asked how the lone Half-Orc managed to survive and he explained that, like most all Dwarvish buildings, the bulk of the fort was underground. With night setting in and cold biting at the group, they asked to stay the night in Rhal's home and he obliged. Moving into the courtyard Rhal guided them towards a hatch in one of the broken buildings. Taking the ladder leading down, the group found themselves now in a warm and dry subterranean series of chambers. While the others walked forward into the first room, Euphoria pulled Rhal aside and made an offer of her lady favors in exchange for some information. At first the offer went over his head after being alone so many years but the point eventually clicked as he took up Euphoria's request for a tour of his domicile laced with flirtations.
Meanwhile, Phuc Her followed after the owl bears as they ran deeper into the caves, watching them play amongst themselves. Scarlet wandered until she found Rhal's sleeping area and began setting up the bedrolls for the group as well as quickening the fire in the makeshift hearth. Sasimay followed the call of Derzeth and found a secluded location to attune to the sword, cementing her link and enacting the Second Pact of the contract tied the weapon. As her connection grew, she conversed with Derzeth and gained more knowledge about Khulmas and the somewhat abstract knowledge the devil had of the prison. The conversation culminated in Derzeth revealing the command word that would allow Sasimay to set the sword aflame. Standing and flourishing the blade, Sasimay couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of power and confidence despite her lingering reservations about actually using the sword.
When the owl bears grew tired for the night, Phuc Her followed them to an opening in the cavern where a hot spring pool collected. The bears lunged into the water and swam to a elevated ledge on the far side. Phuc Her followed, but found them very territorial towards this spot, causing him to retreat and sleep on the other side of the pool for the night. Euphoria and Rhal finished their tour of the underground about this time, redezvousing with Scarlet and Sasimay in the area they would be sleeping for the night. Rhal would have made dinner for the group, but Euphoria insisted on everyone going to sleep and putting out the fire. Scarlet relit it just long enough for everyone to get to the bedrolls before it was snuffed out again.
Late in the night, Euphoria made good on her innuendos towards Rhal by waking him for a tryst. Asking to go somewhere more secluded, she was surprised by how he actually managed to suddenly move ahead without her noticing in the dark. After going far enough the the others wouldn't hear, Euphoria asked about various things they might expect ahead when they left. Rhal answered most of the questions in a satisfactory way and Euphoria pressed forward to make good on her half of the exchange. It was midnight by the time the pair returned to the others and for the first time Sasimay felt Derzeth press into her mind as she slept and take part in her senses.

Morning

As a new day dawned, the ladies of the group decided to have a bath in the large hot spring pool. Phuc Her excused himself from the room, warning them not to bother the owl bears on their ledge and taking up conversation with Rhal. The discussion eventually drew out a nude Euphoria when she heard Rhal warning Phuc Her of the hazards ahead of them, especially in that town they planned to head towards. Rhal remembered that the boss of the town was a gang lord named Oberth Nesher who expected anyone that came into the town to join his gang or leave before a day had passed. Also, he relayed that the men that followed him behaved strangely, which made the group second guess whether they actually wanted to go that way after all. In the end though, the group decided that since they hadn't met the man yet, or discussed his actual terms, they couldn't just write off the town when they were in need of gear and other potential connections.
While the party readied to leave, Rhal agreed to gather what supplies he could spare for them. Euphoria asked Rhal to consider doing such things for more people in hopes that maybe Jord could be a better place. While Rhal admired her idealism, he said her idea was very stupid. Later, everyone gathered together and Rhal presented all of them with warm cloaks. The group presented him with the surviving Mastiff, who was all too happy to be ordered to serve someone other than Euphoria, whom he blamed for the death of his companion dog. Rhal escorted everyone to the gate of his keep and as they wished him goodbye he interrupted them to make a confession. Now that they were out of his home and knew they were safe, he admitted that he had intended to kill them for their items, but they had ingratiated themselves to him so well that he couldn't imagine doing such a thing now. Further, that they could consider him an ally and seek refuge in his home again if needed. The party took this revelation in stride and wished him well, still calling him by the new nickname "Grandpa".

The Outlaw Town

Leaving Rhal's keep around mid-morning, the party spent the uneventful next hour traveling northwards to the town they no knew was run by a powerful gang. Reaching the gates of the walled city, the party was instantly nervous seeing archers manning the walls and watchtowers even though their entry seemingly drew no reaction. The town was in heavy disrepair, looking to have been shelled numerous times to the point that many of the buildings framing the square they entered were little more than broken walls or piles of rubble dotted with craters. While the rest of the group decided to look around together, Euphoria and Phuc Her broke away to check out the makeshift tavern and inn situated in a broken building with tents all around. Inside they met the apparent owner, a Half-Elf woman named Kieran. Trying to pass herself off as a long term prisoner, Euphoria pried for information. However, Kieran saw through the ruse when Euphoria mentioned payment in coin. Still she was able to learn that Oberth Nesher was controlling the release of food supplies and as a result the Kieran was unable to make more of her house brew. In exchange for the information Phuc Her offered Goodberries to the woman so that she might be able to grow a crop for her future needs. The Swayson sisters, meanwhile, had ventured towards the north end of the square and found the smoldering crash of a zeppelin engine. As Euphoria rejoined the others, they also made note of guards being harried by a frantic Gnoll. The group managed to convince the Gnoll, Udoud, to go away by conjuring a ball and finally saw what he was after; the guards were keeping a pair of Kobolds secured within a small former building. The guards refused to answer any questions and instead pointed them towards their boss inside the nearby broken castle.

Oberth's Offer

Going up the ramp and into the sundered castle, the group found Oberth Nesher himself. Using an old armchair as an improvised throne, he looked down on them from the far end of the hall while surrounded by his henchmen. Oberth ordered them to declare their loyalty or state their intentions to leave. The group asked what they would get if they did join with him and Oberth stated that they could be useful in his plans to attack and down a Dwarven zeppelin, which he intended to have repaired and make his escape. Euphoria openly questioned Oberth's plan, leading the gang leader to kill one of his own men. The man's throat was cut, but he showed no reaction and stood in his place until all of his blood was lost. With this done, Oberth declared that if they wanted to leave it was their option, but staying meant following his plan. Euphoria again questioned Oberth's willingness to waste a life in such a way, causing Oberth to order arrows trained on her as she was told to leave. Phuc Her escorted her out before things could escalate out of hand. The Swayson sisters stayed behind, acting intrigued.

Chaos and Hope

Disgusted by the Oberth's tactics, Euphoria decided to cause as much destruction as possible and escape. She encountered the crazed Udoud again and managed to convince him that he should attack one of the watchtowers in the square. As the tower collapsed, Euphoria, having assumed the guise of Oberth, and Phuc Her leapt onto giant rams and charged through the wreckage, trampling the guard and advanced to save the pair of captive Kobolds. Bursting into the building Euphoria swept the Kobolds up in her arms and sent her mount colliding through the far wall of the structure. As the Swaysons and Oberth spoke, this commotion reached them. Oberth asked them a final time to join him or be dealt with along with the troublemakers outside. Sasimay spoke, saying that she was with him, only to suddenly ignite her hellforged blade and turn on the man, instantly banishing him to a plane of the Nine Hells.
With the sudden disappearance of their leader, the gang members suddenly lost the enchantment binding them to his will, dropping their weapons and ending the battle almost as soon as it began. With no more attackers, the party regrouped to discuss their options. With the town suddenly free of domination, some of them considered staying there a while to gather much needed supplies. There was also a question of what leaving too soon would do to the town due to the power void left in their wake. The Kobolds interrupted to introduce themselves as Niks and Rav and asked to leave, but as an uneasy crowd gathered outside the request was set aside while the party deliberated what to do. The still disguised Euphoria ventured to the top of one of the castle towers to address the populace. Dramatically dropping her disguise, she revealed that Oberth was gone and that they now had a say in how they wanted to live within the town with an election to determine who would lead while the party acted as peacekeepers in the interim. The crowd seemed to accept this announcement begrudgingly and disperse.
Regrouping, everyone started searching the audience chamber for items and found quite a bit inside a chest beside the improvised throne. Among the goods was a set of four scrolls with maps and logs verifying that Oberth had been planning solidly when he proposed taking a zeppelin. The last scroll turned out to be a technical drawing made by Niks the Kobold, who explained that Oberth wanted them for their engineering skill. Meanwhile, having heard that the gang leader was no more, Kieran rushed into the castle to try and seize all the food supplies for her own use. Euphoria managed to tide the Half-Elf over by asking her to consider running the town fairly and giving her a single sack of potatoes to use in her alcohol still. She accepted the sack and ran off, more interested in the prospect of gaining a monopoly.
Having seen this, suddenly the party suddenly realized just how precarious the situation could turn if the wrong person was chosen, especially considering that they were all on a prison island where everyone was suspect to becoming a new Oberth. Niks immediately shot down an offer to try and teach or lead the town. The Gnoll Udoud, having wandered into the party's midst, frantically made mention of having run a village in the past. With things quieter now, the group was able to see that Udoud was actually the victim of a psychotic break. Seemingly in tandem, Scarlet used a spell to calm the Gnoll as Euphoria embraced him and invoked her goddess to restore his mind. Afterwards, he momentarily seemed more coherent and stable before passing out. Even so there was still a question of how capable anyone would be or how much support any of them might have before the town tore itself apart. With no apparent option to be found within the town seeming viable, Euphoria and Phuc Her decided to try and enlist the help of "Grandpa" Rhal, mounting up on their large rams and setting out to return to the Half-Orc's keep.

Rewards Granted

Party: 4 Scrolls (Coded Plans, Map of Neighboring Territories, Ledger of Zeppelin routes and schedules, Niks' Zeppelin Schematics), 512 Gold, 111 Silver, 383 Copper, Topaz, Ruby
Euphoria: Bronze Bracer, 1 Diamond, 1 Emerald, Pewter Necklace
Phuc Her: 1 Emerald
Scarlet Swayson: Pearl, 1 Emerald
Sasimay Swayson: Wine (Fancy), 3 Sapphires, 1 Emerald

Character(s) interacted with

Rhal- Half-Orc ally
Kieran- Half-Elf, brewer and tavern owner
Udoud- Gnoll
Oberth Nesher- Human gang boss, banished to plane of the Nine Hells
Niks- Kobold engineer
Rav- Kobold assistant

Related Reports

2nd Session- The Jord Escape

Report Date

12 Jul 2020

Primary Location

Jord